Teaching Philosophy

We believe that the most successful teachers are those who empower their students to take ownership of their learning and provide students with skills that they need to be successful in and out of the classroom. Our teaching philosophy centers around the four elements listed below

Developing objective-driven courses

Students need a solid groundwork of scientific knowledge to succeed as they move through their careers. Understanding that class time is both limited and valuable, each of our lessons, activities, and assessments are centered around specific learning objectives.

Integrating active learning strategies

Regardless of whether classes are held in large lecture hall, a small lab, or in the field, students are active participants in their learning. In each of our lessons, we use a combination of active learning strategies, including think-pair-share questions, board work, group activities, and discussions.

Practicing scientific skills

As budding scientists, students need opportunities to practice and master scientific skills. We integrate scientific skills, such as scientific literacy, interpreting tables and figures, and experimental design, into my course learning outcomes for both lecture and lab-based courses. We then devote class time to explicitly teach these skills and provide students opportunities to practice.